Automatic coupling for railway or other vehicles.



No. 766,239. PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904. E. C. GAYER.

AUTOMATIC COUPLING FOR RAILWAY OR OTHER VEHICLES.

APPLIOATION FILED DBO.21,1903.

no MODEL. 4 SHEETSSHEBT 1.

Mia]. .1. i F

0 jnuenlar Wdlwsses No. 766,239. PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904,

E. G. GAYER.

AUTOMATIC COUPLING FOR RAILWAY OR OTHER VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 21, 1903.

N0 MODEL. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

No. 766,239. PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904.

E. ll'GAYBR.

AUTOMATIC COUPLING FOR RAILWAY OR OTHER VEHICLES.

APPLIOATION IILBD DBO. 21 1903.

N0 MODEL. 7 4 SHEETS-SHEET 3 No. 766,239. PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904. E. U. GAYBR.

AUTOMATIC COUPLING FOR RAILWAY OR OTHER VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 21, 1903.

no MODEL. 4 snrmrrs-snnm 4.

Witnesses.

UNITED STATES Patented August 2, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST CONTVAY GAYER, OF CALCUTIA, INDIA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 766,239, dated August 2, 1904.

Application filed December 21,1903. Serial No. 186,006. We model.)

To {LZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERN EST CONWAY GAYER, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at 11 Hasting street, Calcutta, India, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Couplings for Railway or other Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in automatic couplings for railway and othervehicles.

According to the invention a coupling-hook is pivoted to the draw-bar of the vehicle in such a manner that it can move in the horizontal plane. The draw-bar is movable and has attached to it a pair of levers, each of which is hinged at one end to the side of the vehicle-frame and at the other end acts on a rod extending into a buffer-box, the end which projects into the bufier-box being provided with a piston bearing against a spring. \Vith this arrangement when two vehicles approach one another the buffers are slightly compressed and the two coupling-hooks spring into engagement with one another. The vehicle being thus coupled, when a pull is exerted upon them the hooks are held securely in engagement as the movement of the drawbars is communicated to the piston-rods, which are moved through a greater distance than the draw-bar owing to the arrangement of the levers, this movement continuing until the compression of the springs in the buii'ers counteracts the pull upon the draw-bars.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan, partly in section, illustrating my improved coupling applied to a vehicle. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section, and Fig. 3 is an end view, partly in section, thereof. Fig. at is a side elevation of the coupling-alone drawn to a larger scale. Fig. 5 is a plan of the couplinghook. Fig. 6 is a sectional plan of the coupling-hook proper. Fig. '7 is a side elevation of the said hook, and Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section of a single buffer having the coupling device applied thereto. Fig. 9 isasectional plan view thereof. Fig. 10 is a section on line 10 10, Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is an end elevation of the single buffer-coupling, and Fig. 12 a view of a detail hereinafter mentioned. Fig. 13 is a plan of a modified form of coupling, showing emergency-coupling. Fig. 14 is an end view, and Fig. 15 is an elevation thereof. Fig. 16 is an end view of buffer, showing modified form of emergency-coupling. Fig. 17 is a one-half plan, and Fig. 18 is a side elevation thereof.

Referring first to the. arrangement illustrated in Figs. 1 to 7, a is the coupling-hook proper, the said hook being pivoted on an upright pin (1 on the end of the coupling-arm 7), which is hinged to the end of the draw-bar c, as at 7/, a pin 5 being provided to keep the coupling-arm rigid in a horizontal position. The said draw-bar c is movable longitudinally of the vehicle and also in a vertical plane to allow the vertical play of the coupled vehicles being supported by a spring 0 which holds it normally horizontal. It can also yield sidewise against the pressure of a weighted bell-crank c to allow of two coupling-hooks engaging. The oflice of this crank and weight could of course be performed by a spring, if desired, and the draw-bar has working through it at e the two cross levers or links (Z (5, respectively, each of the said links being hinged at one end to a bracket (Z at the side of the vehicle-frame A and acting at the other end on a rod 0. These rods e, working in suitable guides, extend into the buffer-boxes f and are attached to fiston-heads f, working in the said buffer-boxes against a spring g.

The coupling-hook a is of the form shown clearly in the drawings and is hinged on the vertical pin a to the coupling-arm I), so that it can move in a horizontal plane. It is provided with a tailpiece it, which passes through a slot 1' in the coupling-arm I) and is locked in the coupling position by means of the gravity-catch j, pivoted at j to the arm 7), the said catch when the hook is in the locking position passing between the lip it on the tailpiece l1 and the side of the arm 71, as clearly shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 7. The tailpiece /1 has a curved or beveled outer face If to engage and lift the catch y' when the hook is moved into operative position, and thus lock it automatically. The catch can be just raised sufficiently to release the hook by means of the chain 7r, one end of which is attached to the free end of the catch and the o her to a crank 1: upon a rod Kc", ex-

tending transversely across the vehicle, being held in bearings secured to the bufifer-beam and being adapted to be turned from one or either side of the vehicle through the medium of handles k so as to raise the catch into the position shown in broken lines in Fig. 7, thereby releasing the hook. The said handles could be held in position to prevent the catlch T 1e mm; but it may, if desired, work in suitable guides and be raised bodily by the chain.

On two vehicles fitted with this invention being brought together the two couplinghooks when locked on meeting will slide over their inclined surfaces, each being forced aside laterally until they have gone far enough to look when the influence of the weighted bell- 'crank 0 will cause the hooks to resume their normal positions and the hooks to engage.

This coupling together is insured owing to the buflers when compressed under the impact of the two vehicles receding faster than the hook. v

If the hooks of one or both couplings were open, the impact of the hook or hooks against the opposing tailpiece would knock it home, lifting the catch in doing so, which would drop into place again as soon as the lip cleared it and lock the hook.

When any pulling strain is brought to bear on the coupling-hook, that strain will be communicated through the cross-levers dd to the bufier-springs, tending to make the buffer extend. From the arrangement of the levers (Z d it will be seen that their movement at 0 will be approximately half their movement at their outer ends and that therefore any forward movement of the draw-bar and couplinghook will result in the piston-heads, and hence the buffers, moving approximately twice the distance. As they will, however, come into contact with the opposing buffers of the other wagon, the tension between-coupling-hooks and buffers will be equalized, resulting in an even engagement of the coupling-hooks. In pushing a wagon or other vehicle the whole of the above action is reversed, causing the coupling-hooks to slacken and overlap the more the buffers are compressed.

If both vehicles to be coupled are not fitted with the improved arrangement, means can be provided to enable the ordinary screwcoupling to be used. A hook a of the same shape as is in general use with the ordinary screw or chain couplings may be fixed vertically at right angles to the coupling-arm b and can be turned down into position by pulling out the pin 6 which normally maintains the arm 6 in the horizontal position. The joint at 6 would not be necessary except for this purpose.

In the combined central buffer and coupling illustrated in Figs. 8 to 12 the couplinghook Z is of the same construction as the hook v nects it to an 'arm in on the rod k a described with reference to Figs. 1 to 7, and it is similarly fitted to the coupling-arm m and similarly pivoted to the draw-bar n- The said draw-bar has passing through a slot in its inner end the two cross-levers 0 0, each of which is fulcrumed at 0' 0 to the bufferbox 1) and each of which bears at its free end against the end of a thimble q upon the end of the buffer-rods q, buffer-springs g g being coiled around the said buifer-rods and between the inner ends of the thimbles and shoulders q? upon the buffer. The couplinghook is normally held in the central position by means of a weighted bell-crank lever 1 which is pivoted at r" to the under side of the bufi'er-box. The short arm of said lever r is pressed by the weight r against the sides of the-draw-bar n, and its horizontal position is maintained by the stop 2), which only allows of upward vertical play. Further play could be given by using a spring instead of the said stop, as formerly described. spring a can be provided to help in the above and also to take any jerks on the draw-bar, or side springs pressing against the lugs 12 might be used instead, as clearly shown in Figs. 13 and 15. The operation of this central buffer form of the coupling is the same as that of the construction previously described and need not be further described.

The buffer is arranged so that it can be dropped, and to this end the front parts is pivoted to the portion 8 by two pins t t, the said front part 8 having sockets .9 which slide upon the parts 8, as clearly shown in Figs-9 and 12. The sockets are provided with lateral slots, so that the front part 8 can be drawn forward and dropped. To fix it in the horizontal position, the said part .9 is turned up, pushed back into the position shown in the drawings, and secured in position by means of the pins 10 u, which must be withdrawn before the buffer can be again dropped. Here again this joint would not be necessary except in the case of wagons also fitted with screw or chain coupling-hooks.

In the emergency coupling-hook illustrated A 'tail end in Figs. 13 to 15 the hook to is fitted to the ranged to disengage the emergency-coupling on the other wagon. This lever 00 is pivoted at m and is operated bya chain m which con- The-end of this lever carries a striker 00 which engages with the under side of the emergencyhook of the other vehicle and raises it out of action. i

The depression of the lever 70 will thus cause the coupling-hook and emergency-hooks to disengage simultaneously. The movement is shown by dotted lines in Fig. 151' A similar lever could be provided on the other vehicle, so that the uncoupling could be performed by the lever on either vehicle. A similar coupling could be used with the first form of coupling described by constructinga frame to take the place of the buffer for the hook to engage with the hook being placed between the main coupling and side bulfer.

The emergency-hooks 0/; may, if desired, take the form of a link, somewhat as illustrated in Figs. 16 to 18. In these drawings the link ;1 is fastened by a pin 1/, which is inserted when the wagons are coupled together.

From the above description it will be seen that the principle of this invention may be carried out in a variety of ways and that illustrated in the accompanying drawings is not the only form it may take. Among the modifications in detail that will readily sug gest themselves may be mentioned the position of the piston-head or thimble in the buffer-box. This need not be in the rear end of the buffer-spring, but might be in the center or any convenient place therein. Again, the piston-head may be dispensed with entirely and the buffer-rods could connect the ends of the cross-levers directly to the buffers themselves. Also in the coupling-hook other kinds of catches may be used, such as a gravity-pin or a bolt working horizontally with a spring. Then, again, one lever connecting one buffer might be used, the other bufi'er working as a dummy, or the cross-levers might be pivoted to the draw-bar or bufferrod, or both. Other descriptions of springs might be used than those shown in the drawings.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is- 1. In an automatic coupling, the combination with the coupling-hook, of a movable d raw-bar connected thereto, a buffer located at one side of said hook, a transverse lever connected at a substantially central point in its length to said draw-bar, and having one end connected rigidly with respect to the vehicleframe and having the other end connected to said buffer, substantially as described.

2. In an automatic coupling for railway and other vehicles the combination with the coupling-hook of a movable draw-bar connected to approximately the centers of two transverse levers f ulcru med respectively to opposite sides of the vehicle-frame and attached at their free ends to the buffer or buifers, substantially as described.

3. In an automatic coupling for railway-vehicles and the like, the combination with the coupling-hook of a movable draw-bar connected to approximately the centers of two transverse levers fulcrumed respectively to opposite sides of the vehicle-frame and attached at their free ends to pistons acting on springs in the buffer box or boxes, substantially as described.

4. In an automatic coupling device for railway-vehicles and the like having a central coupling-hook and two side bufi'ers, the combination with the said coupling-hook of a drawbar which can move longitudinally laterally and vertically and of a spring and weight for normally retaining the coupling-hook in the locking position, substantially as described.

5. In an automatic coupling for railway-vehicles and the like the combination of a movable draw-bar to which a pair of transverse levers are fulcrumed, the said levers being pivoted at one end to the vehicle-frame and being attached at the other ends to the buffers or to spring-pistons working in the said buffers, of a coupling device comprising an arm pivoted to the draw-bar. so that it can move in the vertical plane and a hook proper pivoted to the arm so that it can move in the horizontal plane, and of means for locking the hook to the arm in the operative position, substantially as described.

6. In an automatic coupling, the combination with the main coupling-hook, a draw-bar connected therewith, buffers located laterally with respect to said hook, a pair of transverse levers pivoted between their ends to said drawbar, each of said levers having one end pivoted to a part rigidly connected to the vehicle-frame and the other end connected to one of said buffers, an emergency coupling-hook at one side of the main coupling-hook and a device on the other side of the main couplinghook to engage the emergency-hook of another vchicle, substantially as described.

7. In an automatic coupling, the combination with the main coupling-hook, a draw-bar connected therewith, buffers located laterally with respect to said hook, a pair of transverse levers pivoted between their ends to said drawbar, each of said levers having one end pivoted to a part rigidly connected to the vehicle-frame and the other end connected to one of said buffers, an emergency coupling-hook at one side of the main coupling-hook and a device on the other side of the main couplinghook to engage the emergency-hook of another vehicle, a crank-shaft, connections between said shaft and a part connected with the main hook for releasing same, connections between said shaft and emergency-hook to release the same, a striker for releasing the emergency-hook of another vehicle and connections between said shaft and said striker, substantially as described.

ERNEST CON N AY GAYER.

WVitnesses:

HoUsToN DUNcAN, \V. O. TAYLOR. 

